HOAs are a double edged sword.......they can be valuable in terms of keeping up property values and ensuring people maintain their properties.
The trick is to get the right people on the board.
That is, the ones who don’t become dictators.
You’re right. It’s the control freaks who bother me. Unfortunately, that’s a big percentage of them. Those of us who just want to be left alone end up being jerked around by those who hate the idea of someone else having unsupervised fun.